Automatic stoker with moving dump-plate



APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4, 19!].

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I- R. S.'RTLEY.

AUTOMATIC STOKER WITH MOVING DUMP PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1911.

Patent-ed Nov. 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2- BB-BBBBBHBBBB R. S. RILEY.

AUTOMATIC STOKER WITH MOVING DUMEPLATE.

APPLICATION.HLED MAR. 14, 917.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

oberi Sa nfaniflzley a4? Zarne S R. S. RILEY.

AUTOMATIC STOKER WITH MOVING DUMP PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, I91?- m e 5 m id W Z w Z w NW 611%? ms UR fi n m m 1 M a r P e UNITED srarns PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT SANFORD RILEY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SANFORD RILEY STOKER 00., LTD., OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC STOKER WITH MOVING DUMP-PLATE.

Application filed March 14, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r SANFORD RILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stoker's with Moving Dump-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to automatic furnaces or stokers of the type in which fuel is mechanically and automatically introduced continuously or from time to time, propelled through the furnace while being burned, and the incombustible sidue or refuse of which is continuously discharged at a point remote from the point of admission. In practice I have applied the present invention to furnaces or stolzers of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,090,651, and for that reason I have illustrated. in this application an embodiment of means containing the present invention in connection with a furnace of the type shown in said patent; such showing being for the purpose of clearly illustrating the principles of the invention and without intent to limit the same to use in the specific combination shown, or in any particular combination.

The invention has reference to that portion of an automatic stoker which disposes of the incombustible refuse of the fuel; and comprises essentially the combination of a refuse support or depository, conveniently made as a series of relatively narrow menr bers which are arranged side by side and collectively form the support or depository for the fuel refuse, which exists principallyin. the form of clinkers or fused slag, with means for giving a certain character of motion to said means, the precise character and purpose of which are explained in detail in the following; specification. These members preferably have unperforated supportin surfaces and in that respect are similar to plat-s, wherefore I have called thenrby the term plates in this spec1fioat1on, snnply for the purpose of description and with out limiting intent. Said members are operable both for agitating, crushing, and gradually and continuously discharging'the refuse, and for dumping the entire body of material supported upon them, and for that reason I have further defined them as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 154,724.

dumping plates. Vhen such members are perforated, or otherwise of such open construction as to permit flow of air through them, they may be considered as grates, and so termed.

The invention further comprises the combination in a furnace, with movable fuel propelling dumping plates or fuel supports having the character before indicated, of a refuse crushing and discharging apparatus at the discharge point of the furnace; such apparatus being preferably a rotatably mounted roll or a plurality of rolls.

In the drawings hereto annexed Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of an automatic stoker constructed according to the principles of my prior Patent No. 1,090,651 previously mentioned, with the novel features of my present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with parts shown in horizontal. section.

Fig. 3 is a view 011 a larger scale, in vertical section, of that portion of the stoker in which the invention is embodied, showing a different form of dumping plate, and without the rotary crusher.

Fig. I is a perspective view of that part of the apparatus which is shown in Fig. 3, representing one of the dumping plates as having been removed to show more clearly the mode in which the plates are mounted in that form of the invention here illus trated.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a double setting in which two stoker mechanisms embodying my present invention, are arranged end to end. This view also illus trates a modification in the form of the dumping plates.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the dumping plates in a different position.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a single stoker setting, having the form of dumping plate shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 represents the front wall and 11 the rear or bridge wall of a furnace inclosure. This furnace or stoker is of the underfeed type and comprises a series of fuel feeding chan nels or passages which I have called retorts through which the fuel is fed and at each side of which are air channels and outlets su iipiying air for supporting combustion to the mass of fuel. 12 represents a passage in continuation of the forward end oi? one of the fuel channels or retorts pass ing through the front wall of the furnace, and 13 is the bottom or floor of the retort. All the retcrts are alike and have like parts. 1% is a guide extending forwardly from the mouth of the passage 12 and having an opening in its upper side over which .18 mounted a hopper 15 containing fuel, which is caused by gravity to how into the guide. 16 is av pusher arranged to travel longitudinally in the guide across the opening through which the contents of the hopper llmv into the guide, and it is so l'90lPl'OCdt6(l by a crank 17 on a driving shaft 18 and a connecting rod 19.

The limiting side walls which define the retorts are formed in part by plates or bars 20 set edgewise, extending from front to rear of the furnace and supported at their forward and rear ends so that hey may move back and forth longitudinally and horizontally. The spaces between the walls of adjacent retorts and between the outermost oi these walls and the walls of the furnace uclosure are air spaces which open into a chamber at the bottom of the furnace into which air is forced by any convenient means. Supported upon the upper edges ol': the plates or bars 20 and secured thereto are grate blocks 2 which have passages or duets .ing into said air spaces and into the tor conducting and distributing air into and through the fuel to support conibustion thereof. Such grate blocks complete the retort walls, of which they form the upper limits. The blocks are also of considerable width and are provided at the top with ribs between which air flows, thus being en abled to support fuel supply air to the fuel supported.

These walls are r oved back and forth through the agency of pins 23 projecting laterally from the pusher l-i; which play be tween abutments and on rods 26 which are connected to the bars 20, and by striking these abutments move the walls alternate back and forth. Such movement of the retort walls and grates efl'ects a progres sive teed of fuel undergoing combustion and an expulsion of the residue oi? such fuel; and it is made less than the full stroke of the pushers 1% by providing lost motion between the pins 23 and the abutments which ilant said pins in order that the matter so expelled shall be less in quantity than the :luel ted into the furnace, and when finally deposited on the dumping plates or depository. shall consist mainly of refuse, with small an admixture of unburned fuel as possible.

Connected to the rear ends of the side bars 20, that is the ends nearest to the bridge wall 11, are the members 27 which I have heretofore defined asdumping plates", which collectively form the entire re'ltusc support or (lBPOSllZOIy. Each dumping slate is connected at its forward end to one or the side bars in a manner permitting pivotal motion about a horizontal axis, its rear end being supported by a beam 28 which carries an anti-triction 1' ll 29 beneath the rear portion of the dumping plate, on which the latter rests. There is a beam 28 for each oi the dumping plates, and these beams are ad justable longitudinally in a forward and rearward direction. They are provided with, or constructed in part as, racks 30 which mesh with piinions 31 on a shaft 32, whereby the adjustment of the beams may be etfected, any suitable contrivance being connected or geared to shaft 32 for rotating it so as to withdraw or advance the beams to the ex.- tent desired. it is clearly apparent from the drawings that withdrawal of the beams, that is their movement toward the trout of the furnace, allows the dumping plates to hang down to a greater or less extent and enlarges more or less the opening at the rear of these plates through which the ashes, clinkers and other refuse are discharged into the ash pit beneath the furnace, while projection oi the beams to "ard the rear has the opposite el iect, raising the dumping plates and more or less closing the ash discharge opening. The open position assumed by the plates for duniiping is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Illustration on a large scale of the dumping plates and the means for supporting the same, is given by Figs. 3 and 4, in which such plates and supporting means are sentially the same as those shown in Fig. l, although (littering slightly in details of form and arrangement. The dumping plates 2? in Figs. 3 and 4 are shorter than the plates 27 of F 1 and extend downward to a less depth, but they are connected with the side bars ot' the moving retort walls. and thereby with the fuel supporting grates at their l arward ends, and supported by adjustable beams at their rear ends, in exactly the same manner. On account of the less length and depth elf these dumping plates, the suppor; ing beams :28 in Fig. 3 are placed at a rolatively higher level with respect to the re L. than are those in Fig. 1, but are otherwise the same and are adjusted in the same way.

The means which I have devised and here illustrated for connecting the dumping plates to the retort side bars, while it may be modified and is therefore not essential to the broad idea of the invention, is nevertheless a detail for which I desire to obtain protection, and will now describe, reference being bad to Figs. 3 and 4. Each of the side bars 20 is secured to a part 33, which 1 call a shoe resting and capable of sliding horizontally on a bed 34 which rests on fixed girders 35 of the stoker foundation. The shoe is formed with upright separated webs, between and passing through which are rods 36 whereon are mounted two trunnion pieces 37 each of which has an outwardly projecting trunnion stud 38 adapted to enter a. socket in one side of the forward end of the dunuping plate 27. Each plate is cut away or recessed at the under side of its forward end, as is shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the recess being limited by webs 39 at the sides of the plate, in which the sockets to receive the trunnion studs are formed. The trunnion pieces may be slid toward one another on the rods 36 to admit the studs into the recesses of the dumping plate, and after being entered in these recesses they may be spread apart to place the trunnion studs in the sockets. They are locked in the latter position by a downwardly projecting web 40 on a pusher nose 41 which is secured to the shoe 33, this web entering between the two trunnion pieces and being of suflicient width to hold them apart and in the position where their trunnions are engaged with the dumping plate. The pusher nose is the last one of a series of grate-like members which support the burning fuel after it has issued from the retort or fuel passage. in this furnace the grate blocks 22 which form part of the retort walls, the pusher noses 4i, and interposed grate blocks 41 between the pusher noses and the bottom of the retorts make up the grates which support the fuel being burned. The pusher noses and blocks 41 collectively extend across the entire width of the furnace and are in effect extension grates whereon the ignited fuel issuing from the retorts is supported during the last stages of combustion. Each of the s1de bars 20 carries one of the pusher noses and an extension grate block 41.

As the side bars 20 are moved back and forth in the manner previously described, the dumping plates are similarly moved with them and the rear ends of such plates travel over the rolls on the supporting beams 28. As such rolls are at a lower level than the pivot trunnions of the plates, and as the plates are also preferably curved downwardly at their rear ends, such curved parts bearing on and traveling over the rolls, these parts of the plates are given an upward and downward oscillation at the same time that they are shifted back and forth. The amount or amplitude of this oscillation may be increased or diminished simultaneously with enlarging or restricting the refuse discharge outlet by adjusting the beams 28 in the manner described. Such oscillation may also be varied without shifting the beams 28, by increasing or diminishing the extent of reciprocal movement of the side bars 20, the extent of such oscillation being roughly proportional to the reciprocating travel of the side bars.

The plates 27 (and correspondingly 27) may also be dropped into a substantially vertical position by entirely withdrawing the supporting beams, whenever it is desired to dump the entire body of n'iaterial supported on the plates.

The oscillation of the dumping plates produces a new effect in keeping the refuse in motion and preventing the formation of large clinkers. In my prior patents, of which the one numbered 1,090,651 may be taken as typical, I have shown means by which refuse is gradually propelled over a relatively stationary support to the discharge outlet. The invention herein described is an improvement over prior inventions in that the support itself is kept in motion in a manner such that it prevents the formation of clinker in large masses on the dumping plates in positions from which they can not be dislodged by the pusher noses. It also prevents the alhesion of clinkers to the bridge wall, by reason of the oscillation or vibration of the dumping plates, which takes place in such a manner that the plates act as crusher jaws in breaking up lumps of refuse. In addition to this function my improved dumping mechanism. also I has the function of propelling refuse toward the discharge point, on account of the move-- ment of the plates rearward and downward toward this point, together with all the useful features of my prior patents in capability of dumping the entire accumulation of refuse on the plates at one time, and of effecting a continuous gradual discharge of refuse in regulated amount.

Another feature of the invention consists in the combination with the parts already described, of fuel crushing and expelling means at the discharge point. One form of such means is embodied in a roll 43 mounted rotatably on a substantially horizontal axis extending athwart the furnace between the rear ends of the dumping plates and the bridge wall, and close to the latter. Said roll is given a step by step rotation by any suit able mechanism, such for example as a pawl and ratchet mechanism consistin g of a ratchet fastened to the shaft of the roll, and a pawl engaging therewith carried by an arm 44 which is driven from the shaft 18 by a crank 45 thereon and connecting rod 46, rock arms 47, 47*, and link 48, as shown in Fig. 1. Adjustment of the throw of the roll at each step may be made by having either of the rods 46 or 48 variable in length, or by providing an adjustment of well known char acter by which the point of connection of either rod with either of the arms to which it is connected is shiftable toward and away from the axis of the arm. It is of course apparent that this mechanism may be arranged to rotate the roll in either direction as desired, that is either toward the dump- ,ing plates or toward the bridge wall, al-

or equivalent projections 49, arranged in any desired manner, which engage lumps of clinker and break the same into pieces small enough to pass through the discharge opening. It also stirs the line ash and assists to discharge the same.

In the performance of these functions the oscillating and vibrating dumping plates cooperate with the roll by reason of their movements, which consist, as already described, in part of longitudinal back-andforth reciprocation, and in part of oscillations both forward and back, and up and down. The oscillative movement of these plates alternately enlarges and restricts the opening beside the roll through which ti refuse is discharged, while the reciprocating movement effects a positive feed of the refuse toward and through the discharge opening,

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, double setting or installation is illustrated wherein two stoker mechanisms are arranged end to in such manner that a common discharge outlet is provided between their rear, or innermost, ends. These views also show a modification in the form of the dumping plates. The latter are designated :27 and are made straight from end to end and arranged at a steeper inclination than the corresponding dumping plates in the other views. They are mounted and operated. however, in exactly the same way as in the other forms described, and the other parts of the stoker are substantially identical with the corresponding parts of the stoker shown in Fig. 1. One minor difference may be noted as being that in the modification of Fig. 5 the depending portions of the dumping plates bear slidingly upon wear plates 50 mounted on the supporting beams, instead of on antifriction rolls. In Fig. 5 the dumping plates are shown in operating position, while in Fig. 6 they are shown as being withdrawn in order to dump or discharge their contents.

One or a pair of rolls or other crushing or expelling means may be used with the modification of Figs. 5 and 6, arranged and operated substantially as illustrated in connection with the crushing roll 43 of Fig. 1, or the double installation may be built and operated without the crushing roll, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 7 shows the same form of dumping plate as is used in the double installation applied to a single stoker installation or setting adjacent to a bridge wall 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

It is apparent from the constructions herein illustrated and described that the invention may be embodied in various forms and constructions, all of which include essentially the same principles of a dumping plate, which is also to a greater or less extent a support for refuse, one part of which is connected to operating means and is moved back and forth thereby with a substantial horizontal movement, and another part of which is supported in such a man ner to have a substantial component of up and down, or vertical movement; and that the part so supported is adapted to be withdrawn to regulate the rate of discharge of the refuse, as well as to permit a quick dumping of the entire accumulation of refuse.

It is to be remembered of course that the several dumping plates are inde1i endent of one another 4 the sense that they are separately and ii l pendently movable, and that in the type or stoker wherein I have shown them applied, the side walls of the different retorts move independently, and to a certain extent oppositely, to one another; also that the opposite 'de walls or bars of a single retort may ha diiferent extents of motion from one anotner. Thus it follows that the dumping plate do not osc llate in unison but that certain plates oscillate oppositely to one another or to a greater or extent than other and adjacent plates. It is my intention that in any stoker wherein my invention may be applied, whether of the nype of my prior patents or of other types, the dumping plates when there are two or more, will be moved independently and differently so that there will be relative motion between adj a cent plates. In the operation of the furnace a separation autonnitically takes place between completely burned out refuse and still uuconsiuned fuel, with an improved character of discharge or the refuse and retention of the unlmrnez fuel until the combustion has becon'ie substantially complete. This effect appears to be due to the combination of movements of the dumping plates described, augmented by the relative movement between adjacent plates, and possibly assisted by the movement of the retort walls; and to the fact that the incombustible refuse consists mainly of clinker n slag, which is relatively heavy, while the .ill unconsuined fuel. exists mainly in the form of porous coke which is lighter than the clinker and slag. Thus the agitation imparted by the rocking dump plates and the retort sides tends strongly to cause displacement of the incombustible material to the bottom of the mass and of the combustible material to the top. The vertical component of motion of the rear or lower ends of the plates has an important part in securing these effects; for the movement upward breaks up the fuel bed over the plates, and the downward move ment, which is also lengthwise of the supporting surface, carries and propels the refuse supported thereby all the way to the discharge outlet. The coke at the top of the mass, being in separate lumps and not at all plastic, simply rolls about with the motion of the dumping plates and is less rapidly moved toward the discharge point. It is only as this coke burns to more compact incombustible refuse that it seeks the lower levels of the mass and is acted on by the dumping plates sufliciently to be ejected. This action results in eliminating substantially all unburned fuel from the discharged refuse; or in other words, causing substantially all of the combustible material to be burned before the residue of the fuel is discharged. On this account the rocking dump plates are a means for effecting selective ejection of refuse by causing downward travel of the incombustible refuse and up ward travel of the still combustible fuel through the mingled mass of combustible material and refuse prior to the expulsion of the refuse through the discharge outlet.

I have already explained my reason for showing the present invention in connection with a inechanism of the same general type as my prior patents. I wish to repeat and emphasize that the invention is not limited to the combination with stokers of that especial type, but that I claim the invention involved in movable fuel-supporting dumping plates in any relation, as well as in combination with a stoker of the underfeed type having reciprocatory fuel-propelling means. As thus claimed, the invention is not restricted to any specific direction or course of travel of th fuel and refuse from the fuel admission inlet to the discharge outlet, or to a course of such travel without change in direction. For this reason the terms front, rear, or back, forward, rearward, and similar terms as used in certain of the appended claims are not intendedas limitations in construction, arrangement, or location of the refuse supporter dumping plates, but are to be construed in so far as they apply to that particular part of the stoker, as defining the position and character of motion of the refuse depository or dumping plates with respect to the outlet and to the direction of travel of the fuel and refuse in approaching and arriving at such outlet. Thus the rear part of the depository is the part nearest the outlet, its forward part is that farther from the outlet; rearward. movement is movement toward the outlet or in approximately the same direction as the progression of fuel and refuse movement in approximately the opposite direction.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A furnace comprising means for sup porting fuel in course of combustion and having a discharge outlet, provisions for nursing progression of such fuel. from an admission inlet over and from said supporting means toward said discharge outlet, and a refuse support or depository beside and establishing one boundary of the discharge outlet in position to receive matter passing from said fuel supporting means; in combination with means for moving said refuse support back and forth with a substantial horizontal motion as to the part thereof more remote from said outlet, and with a substantial Vertical component as to the part thereof nearer the outlet.

2. In a furnace including means for supporting and propelling burning fuel and delivering the residue thereof, and having an outlet, a support for refuse at one side of said outlet forming one boundary thereof, arranged to receive the residue of the fuel delivered from said supporting and propelling means, and means for moving said refuse support bodily toward and away from said outlet and at the same time raising and lowering the part thereof nearest to the outlet, whereby to agitate the matter supported thereon to cause settling of the relatively heavy incombustible refuse and separation thereof from the relatively light unburned fuel, and to carry such refuse toward the outlet.

3. In a furnace having an outlet and including means for supporting burning fuel and means for propelling such fuel toward said outlet, a wall at one side of said outlet bounding the same, a support for refuse forming the opposite boundary of said outlet and being inclined upwardly and away from said wall, means for moving the part of said support which is more remote from said wall toward and away from the latter, and means for causing the part of said support which is nearer to the wall to rise during the said movement away from the wall, and to descend. during the said movement toward the wall.

t. In a furnace having an outlet for the discharge of refuse, a support forming one boundary of said outlet arranged in posi tion to receive the refuse of fuel burned in the furnace and extending upwardly away from said outlet, means for propelling fuel and refuse toward said support, and means for moving the rear part of said support up and down to break and agitate the superposed fuel bed and separate refuse from unburned fuel, and moving the whole support away from and toward said outlet at the same time to carry the matter resting upon it toward the outlet.

5. A furnace having means for support ing fuel in course of combustion, constructed and arranged to deliver at the rear the residue of burned fuel, a plate at the rear of said means and below the -nnc in position to receive the residue Q'iel delivered therefrom, said furnace having a discharge outlet at the rear end of said plate, one boundary of which is formed by said rear end, a member mounted to reciprocate with a substantial horizontal motion, to which the forward part of the plate is connected, whereby the same is moved back and forth, and a rest for the rear part of the plate over which the latter is carried during such movements, arranged to cause such rear part to rise and descend.

6. A furnace having means for supporting and propelling fuel in course of coinbustion and for delivering the residue of burned fuel, a pla to at the rear of said means and below tl e same in position to receive the residue of fuel delivered therefrom, said furnace having a discharge outlet at the rear end of said plate, one boundary of which is formed by said rear end, a member mounted to reciprocate with a substantial horizontal moti I to which the forward part of the plate is connected, whereby the same is moved back and forth, and a rest for the rear part of the plate over which the latter is carried during such movements. arranged to cause such rear part to rise and descend, said rest being displaceable to lower such rear end more or less, whereby to enlarge or restrict the outlet and vary the rate of discharge.

7. A furnace having means for supporting fuel in course of combustion and for propelling the fuel thereover and therefrom, a plurality of plates arranged sine by side in position with respect to said fuel-supporting means to receive the residue of the fuel issuing therefrom, said furnace having a discharge outlet at the termination of said plz es,the ends of which more remote from the fuel supporting means collectively form one boundary of. the outlet, and means for.

moving said plat-es independently towarr and away from the outlet and at the same time causing the aforesaid ends ofthc plates to descent and rise, adjacent plates being so moved at dilferent times, whereby relative motion takes place between such plates.

8. A furnace having a-forward inlet and a rear outlet and comprising in combination with means for holding binning fuel, located between the inlet and the outlet, and feeding means arranged to propel fuel. from the inlet toward the outlet, a refuse support below and in rear of said holding means, extending downward and rearward therehow, a forwardly and rearwarclly moving 9. A furnace comprising a series of fuel.

supporting grates arranged in parallel, means for moving said grates back ant forth longitudinally with relative motion between ad iacentgrates, dumping plates pro-- jecting rearwardly from the rear ends of said grates and hinged at their forward ends to the grates so as tobe moved bodily back and forth with the latter, and means for causing the rear ends of said Lllllllplng plates to be moved upwardly din. the entire course of their translat-ive movemen in one direction, and to be moved dowm ly during the entire course ct their translative movement in the opposite direction.

10. In a furnace, a plurality of fuel grates adapted to support and propel fuel and discharge fuel refuse, means for moving said grates back and forth some degree oppoer, the furnace having the back and forth movement of said dumpin plates causes said par-gs to be raised and lowered.

11. In a furnace, a plurality of fuel grates. adapted to suppor and propel fuel and dis: charge fuel refu means for moving said back and forth in some degree oppositely to one another, dumping plates piv oted on horizontal axes to said grates adjacent to the discharging ends of the latter, and relatively stationary supporting means in rear of and below said pivot axes on. which said dumping plates rest and by w ich the back and forth movemen' of said d1 plates causes the portions of said plates which rest thereon to be raised and louered, said supports being adjustable in the direction hf the heel: and forth movements or the pla whereby to vary the angular disposition or up fuel retorts with fuel J. 1311.;

and forwardly moving; side walls aad hr ing an outlet for fuel refuse, dumping plates pivotally connected to said walls on horizontal axes and movable backwardly and forwardly therewith, and relatively stationary supports for said dumping plates uncerlying the latter in rear of and below the connections of the dumping plates with said walls, whereby the movement of the plates thereover causes those portions of the plates which are supported thereby to rise and descend.

13. In a furnace having a plurality of fuel rctorts with fuel feedin ac iwardly and forwardly moving side and having an outlet for fuel refuse, dni-nping plates pivotally connected to said walls on horizontal axes and movable backwardly and forwardly therewith, and rel ""cely stationary supports for said dnmpii ,i plates underlying the latter below and in rear of the connections between said plates and said wa ls whereby the movement of the plates thcreoyer ca which are supported thereby to rise and descend, said supports bei adjustable in the direction of the back and forth movements of the plates whereby to vary both the positions and the amplitude of the up and down movements thereof.

'1 An under feed furnace comprising a retort into which fuel is fed and supporting grates at each side of and in rear of the retort, said grates and the walls of the retort being movable back and forth to propel fuel and to deliver the fuel residue, dumping plates extending rearwardly from said grates and separately hinged to the retort side walls adapted to receive such fuel residue from said grates, means for moving said walls, grates. and dumping plates back and, forth, a wall in rear of the dumping plates, there being discharge opening between said wall and the dumping plates. the latter being downivardly inclined toward said wall, and means for causing the rear parts of the dumping plates to rise and descend as said plates are moved forward and back, whereby said plates are enabled to agitate, crush, and discharge the residue of the fuel which is fed to them from. the retort and grates.

15. A furnace comprising, in combination with means for holding burning fuel. a discharge outlet for the refuse of the fuel. and means for propelling fuel toward such, outlet, a refuse support between said holding means and the outlet, extending downward toward the outlet, a forwardly and rearwardly moving element to which the forward part of said support is hinged on a substantially horizontal axis. and a stationary rest on which the downucn-dly extending rear part of said support bears; the reaction of said rest causing said rear part to rise those portions of the plates during the forward movement of the support, and permitting the same to descend by gravity during the rearward movement thereof.

16. A furnace comprising, in combination *ith means for holding burning fuel, a dis charge outlet for the refuse of the fuel, and means for propelling fuel toward said outlet, a refuse support in position to receive the residue of fuel delivered from said holding means, extending rearward from the latter and its rear portion being down wardly inclined, said rear portion forming the forward boundary of said discharge outlet, a wall forming the rear boundary of said outlet, and operating and supporting means for said refuse support arranged and acting to displace the forward part of the refuse support alternately toward said wall, at the same time lowering the rear part thereof. and away from the wall, at the same time raising such rear part.

' 17. A furnace comprising, in combination with means for holding burning fuel and delivering the residue of such fuel, a refuse support in position to receive the residue of fuel. delivered from said holding means, extending rearward from the latter and its rear portion being downwardly inclined, said rear portion forming the forward boundary of an outlet for discharge of refuse, a movable refuse crushing and expelling; member in said outlet arranged with a dis charge space between itself and said support. and means for moving the support alternately toward and away from said member and at the same time causing the rear part of the support to descend and rise, respec tively.

18. A furnace comprising, in combination with means for holding burning fuel, and delivering the residue of such fuel, a refuse support in position to receive the residue of fuel delivered from said holding means, extending rearward from the latter and its rear portion being downwardly inclined. said rear portion forming the forward boundary of an outlet for discharge of refuse, a rotatable refuse crushing and expelling roll located in said outlet with its axis substantially horizontal and a discharge space between its periphery and the refuse support, means for turning said roll so that its upper side is carried forward and downward toward the refuse support, and means for moving the support alternately toward and away from the roll and at the san'ie time causing its rear part to descend and rise, respectively.

In testimony whereof l have affixed. my signature.

ROBERT SANFORD RILEY. 

